Vancouver, BC, November 18, 2015--(T-Net)--The Lung Association, through its Breathing as One Research Campaign, and Aeri Health, a Vancouver-based integrated health management company, today announced the launch of a new partnership based around a new mobile app that will enable Canadians with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) to monitor their symptoms through their smartphones, track medication adherence, treatment schedules, and identify lifestyle and behavioural triggers to help manage and control their COPD.

The Aeri COPD app can be downloaded to an iPhone or iPad, providing medication reminders for COPD patients, as well as enabling individuals to track their medication use and dosage. It also includes a clinically validated assessment questionnaire so patients can keep track of their day-to-day health and COPD symptoms and record potential behaviours or environments that could trigger respiratory episodes. Historical health information can be stored and shared with physicians and caregivers to help them identify trends and intervene early to manage COPD and achieve better health outcomes.

COPD is now the fourth leading cause of death in Canada, and mortality rates have been climbing in the past three decades, particularly among women(1). More than 750,000 Canadians have been diagnosed with COPD by a doctor and it's estimated that another 750,000 Canadians have COPD but are currently undiagnosed(2). Chronic lung diseases, primarily asthma, lung cancer and COPD, cost the Canadian economy $12 billion annually, including $3.4 billion in direct health care costs and $8.6 billion in indirect costs(3).

Aeri COPD was developed by Aeri Health in close partnership with the University of British Columbia, the Child & Family Research Institute and BC Children's Hospital, with support from Grand Challenges Canada, funded by the Government of Canada. Grand Challenges Canada is a supporter of companies developing technologies benefitting health care in the developing world.

“Aeri COPD acts like a mobile health coach, empowering individuals to take a more active role in managing their health and improving their quality of life,” said Vincent Lum, President and CEO of Aeri Health. “COPD usually requires attention and treatment correction more frequently than can be covered through routine visits to a care provider. Aeri COPD provides immediate information to caregivers and can help fill the gaps between doctor visits, providing ways for patients to provide accurate information on the state of their health to the doctor, so the physician can provide the most appropriate level of care to manage the condition.”

“Unfortunately many COPD patients take as little as 40% of their prescribed medications, which impacts their ability to manage their symptoms but more importantly makes them more likely to have exacerbations”, says Dr. J. Mark FitzGerald, Professor of Medicine and Head of UBC's Respiratory Division(4).

Aeri COPD is the first component of a more extensive COPD management platform that will be introduced by Aeri Health later this year.

The Company will introduce a premium subscription service for Aeri COPD that will include a mobile pulse oximeter, which enables people to monitor their blood oxygen level (Sp02) and heart rate through their smartphone, two of the most important vital signs for COPD patients. The Aeri COPD subscription service will be available through Aeri Health's website http://www.aerihealth.me/.

A portion of sales from the Aeri COPD subscription service will be donated to The Lung Association's Breathing as One Campaign for Lung Research.

"We're extremely pleased to be entering into this new and exciting partnership with Aeri Health, proceeds of which will support our efforts to develop the breathing breakthroughs of tomorrow. It's a very fitting partnership given our shared focus on health and innovation", says George Habib, Executive Lead of The Lung Association's Breathing as One Research Campaign. "By working together with companies such as Aeri Health, we will be able to spread innovative ideas that effectively treat and prevent disease, and build new collaborations that join together research and action."

Aeri Health is currently developing an integrated service platform for its chronic disease monitoring technology which will enable patients to share their health data with physicians and other care providers through a secure cloud-based service. Caregivers can help their patient manage their disease on a daily basis providing support and encouragement. Physicians will be able to monitor patients' symptoms and vital signs electronically in real time, assess the severity of symptoms and conditions, identify health issues early, provide support and guidance to patients, and adjust treatments as required. Real-time mobile health (mHealth) monitoring provides a continuous view of the patient's health status, which can help reduce hospitalization rates, enhance care coordination, optimize the health and wellbeing of patients and reduce healthcare costs.

For over 100 years, The Lung Association has been dedicated to promoting and improving lung health for all Canadians. The mission of The Lung Association is to lead nationwide and international lung health initiatives, prevent lung disease, help people manage lung disease and promote lung health. Our provincial and national offices work together to help the one in five Canadians who have breathing problems.

Breathing as One is a national fundraising campaign that will support The Lung Association's new, innovative research strategy. Based on the principles of collaboration, the National Respiratory Research Strategy will push beyond the traditional boundaries of lung research, leverage new knowledge and create the highest standards of treatments to attract the brightest medical minds. For more information, please visit www.breathingasone.ca